An electric vehicle (EV), which may also be referred to as an electric drive vehicle, typically uses one or more electric motors for propulsion. In general, there are three main types of electric vehicles:                EVs that are directly powered from an external power station,        EVs that are powered by stored electricity originally from an external power source, and        EVs that are powered by an on-board electrical generator, such as an internal combustion engine (a hybrid electric vehicle) or a hydrogen fuel cell.        
Electric cars are electric vehicles that are powered by using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. The batteries may be charged by means of an electric vehicle charging station. As the number of electric vehicles increases, the availability of electric vehicle charging stations to reliably provide electricity to the electric vehicles takes on increasing importance. Like conventional gas stations, current electric vehicle charging stations are available on a first come, first serve basis. However, charging a rechargeable energy storage system of an electric vehicle can take a substantial amount of time. Moreover, the future number of electric vehicles could exceed the available number of electric vehicle charging stations. That is to say, a user of an electric vehicle is dependent on the availability of electric vehicle charging stations. It is not only important to find one when it is needed, but it is also preferable to be able to use a charging station once you have found it.
Consequently, there is a need to know that a charging station is available, that it is possible to reserve it, and to make the reservation in a practical and convenient way during driving.